There's no question that taking a vacation break from work helps to recharge our internal batteries, if not also allowing us to clear our focus about what really deserves our attention at work. And yet, for many of us, the return to work can be met with some feelings of ambivalence during those first few days, mostly due to our uncertainty over what changes may have taken place while we were away. This is especially true for employees who return to work after a prolonged absence from taking a maternity, paternity or sick leave. Of course, returning to work after a prolonged absence can provide its own share of challenges to employees, issues which may not be obvious to the organization’s leadership or their fellow team members. Indeed, unlike employees returning from a holiday break, these employees have to contend with concerns over unexpected additions to their workloads or changes made to their role within the organization while they were away. Such issues can have a dramatic impact not only on their productivity, but also on their ability to ease back into their role as a member of your team. With this in mind, here are three steps leaders can take to help their employees with the transition of returning back to work after a prolonged break. 1. Be interested in learning more about their time away from work A few days ago, I was told the story of an employee who returned to work six months after going on sick leave. During his first week back, not one of his co-workers or his boss asked anything about how he was doing or if his time away from work had done him good. Instead, the only thing people at his company were interested in was how soon he could get a certain task or report done. Needless to say, in talking about his experience, it was clear that this person was definitely feeling disengaged, if not wondering about his future as an employee of this organization. Granted, it can be uncomfortable for some leaders, as well as employees, to delve into the personal lives of their co-workers, especially if their absence was physically or psychologically-related. However, by not showing a willingness to acknowledge the reason for their time away – as well as showing an interest in how they are managing with their return back – leaders will only make it more challenging for these employees to re-connect with their work and their team mates. As the example mentioned above shows, while you might be grateful to have your employees back on the job, choosing to ignore the reason behind their departure from work can have a deleterious effect on their ability to resume their role within your team. 2. Remind employees of specific contributions they can make to the organization In returning to work after a long break, employees can feel apprehensive about potential changes in the organization, as well as the reason why they needed to take time off from work in the first place. Both of these factors can end up having a significant impact on their perception and subsequent ability to contribute in a meaningful fashion. To help offset these feelings of self-doubt, leaders need to show employees why you value their return by reminding them of what special knowledge or skills they bring to the team. For example, leaders could welcome these employees back by telling them about a new product line they’re about to start work on and how the organization will benefit from their involvement given their knack for coming up with creative workarounds to unexpected obstacles. By pointing out specific examples of what these employees can contribute to your organization, leaders can demonstrate to employees the value and importance they play in reaching your organization’s goals, giving them a big boost toward getting back on track and fully participating in your team’s efforts. 3. Provide a sincere gesture to employees to welcome them back into the fold Undoubtedly, one of the biggest concerns returning employees face is how will their return be treated by others in the team. And as is the case in most situations, the actions a leader takes will play a big role in defining both the team’s perception and subsequent treatment of their returning co-worker. This is why it’s important that leaders don’t simply gloss over the return of these employees, but instead ensure that their re-integration back into the team is accomplished with as little difficulty as possible. One of the easiest ways to start this process is by offering these employees a sincere and genuine gesture welcoming them back into your organization. Now, this doesn’t need to be elaborate and it certainly doesn’t need to be very public as the last thing anyone wants is to have too much attention drawn to their return to work. Instead, leaders can simply leave them a short ‘Welcome back’ note or take a few minutes to stop by their desk to personally offer their support to help ease their employees back into their role. Although these are not complex or difficult gestures to perform, the fact that leaders make the effort to do them will send a clear message to the rest of the team of how to view this employee’s return. Additionally, it will also give returning employees some much needed reassurance that the organization’s leadership is willing to offer support and empathy regarding the needs of their employees. Returning back to work can be a challenging and worrisome process for employees coming back from a prolonged absence. Recognizing these issues and helping to ease their concerns will not only ensure a smoother transition back into their position within your team, it will also encourage a speedier resumption of their active participation and productivity within your organization, something all leaders should aspire to foster as part of their mandate to lead those around them.

It really is unfortunate that organizations and their leaders don't make a more concerted effort to demonstrate empathy and awareness of the challenges their employees face, to the point that many employees fear showing any such signs of needing time away from work as demonstrating weakness.

By encouraging employees to take time off to heal along with a welcoming environment for their return, organizations can create a stronger and more empowered workforce that will be better able to manage whatever storms come their way.

Thanks again for your comment, Ian.

- Tanveer. "

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Ian Welsh

November 04, 2010 05:51 PM

"Great advice, Naseer. A really interesting post.

I have met so many people in organizations, returning from sickness, maternity/paternity leave etc. and they really believe the company will find ways to get rid of them. It is very sad and, as you suggest, it is sometimes just because the manager has not taken a positive lead in welcoming and reintegrating the employee - unfortunately not always!